Automatic lubricating device



s Sheets-She et 2 N R WHITE AUTOMATIC LUBRICATING DEVICE Filed Feb. 9, 1922 March 9 1926.

wmsssfs Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

NOAH R. WHITE, OF DELTA, COLORADO.

AUTOMATIC LUsnIoATrne DEVICE.

Application filed February 9, 1922. Serial No. 535,316.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Non It. IIITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Delta, in the county of Delta and State of Colorado. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Lubricating Devices, of which the following is a Specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in lubricating devices of the I force feed type.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which can be readily applied to threshing machines to lubricate those bearings which have been found to burnout very rapidly from lack of proper lubrication.

A further object of the invention is to provide a lubricating device whichis entirely automatic in its operation, thereby dispensing with the necessity of watching the various hearings to See that they receive the proper amount of lubrication. c

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forminga part of the description and wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device shown applied to a threshing machine,

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the device.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan of one end of the device illustrating the means for imparting movement to the followers.

Figured is a vertical section of the follower mechanism; and I Figure '5 is a perspective view of a part of the follower mechanism.

7 Referring now moreparticularly to the drawings wherein for the purpos of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 6 designates portion ofthe casing of a threshing machine, which has mounted transversely therethrough a shaft '7 which operates the clover huller. This shaft is inounted inbearings 8 located at each side of 'th'eth'resher casing. Inasmuch as the follower mechanism for each bearing '8 is substantially of'the sameconstruc'tion, a description of one will suiiic 'e for all. r.

Rising from each bearing 8 is a lubrica- -te'r f pipe &1 pp r fat of whi h -19- ports a lubricant container or cup 10, the exterior surface of which is screw threaded, as clearly seen in Figure 2. In order that the lubricant or g rease may be forced. from the container 10 into the feed pipe 9 and then to thebearings, a follower cap 11 is screw threaded for cooperation with the lubricant cup 10. and when screwed down u pen the cup, forces the grease from the receptacle into the feed pipe 9. To the top of this cap is secured a diametrically extending bar l2 having an aperture at each end thereof for the reception or, a pair of legs 13 of a follower operating member.

\ This operating m mber is of substantially lJ-shaped configuration, the bridging portion 14 of which is offset laterally of the legs 18 in order that thelegsmay be passed "down through a pair of apertures provided in a ratchet disk or wheel 15 and the bride ingportion 1 1 of the'operating member will avoid an anti-friction washer 16 disposed between the top 0f the disk and asupporting bar 17. lhis supporting bar 17 extends transversely of the threshing machine in spaced relationto the topth'ereof and is arrang-edsubstantiallyabovethe clover hulli-ngv drum inside of the casing. In order that the ratchet disks 15 may be rotatably mounted upon the underside of the supporting bar 17, a bolt l8is passed through each end of the supporting bar and is extended through the adjacent ratchet disk and its cooperating washer 16. As seen in the drawings ratchet teeth 19 of one disk depend from the under side thereof vfor a purpose which will presently be described. It is to be understood that the legs 13 of the follower operating" members are to be spaced a substantial distance apart and 'sufiicient to permit the vertical movel'nent of these members without contacting with the ends of 'the supporting bar 17 when it is desired to remove the follower caps for refilling the lubrieator cups 10.

As'best seen in Figures 1 and 2, the sup porting bar 17 is supported-above the threshing machine by means of blridg'enconstruction 2'0 rising from the topfof the threshing machine. -A bracket 21 is secured biycits upper end adjacent one end of the 'sr'lpporting bar 17, as clearl'vslioivn in Figure 2,, and is of substantially Lshaped Configuration whereby the VB tijtial j 31E111. thereof will be dished n a vertical plane t as d I the threshing machine. The lower end of this bracket is secured to the side of the threshing machine casing and a ratchet wheel 22 having peripheral teeth is mounted upon the vertical arm of the bracket by n'ieans of a small shaft 23. he inner end of this shaft is equipped with a crank 2t, upon which is mounted the dog This dog is mounted upon the crank intermediate of its ends and one end of the dog is weight ed, while the opposite end is curved slightly upwardly for engagement and cooperation with the ratchet teeth 19 of one of the ratchet disk 15. It will be noted that only one of the disks 15 is provided with ratchet teeth, for means which will be later described are provided for operating one of the disks from the other. In order to prevent the backward rotation of the disk 15 a pawl 26 is pivoted between its ends and has one of its ends weighted so that its opposite end will be normally retained against the teeth of the disk 15. This pawl is pivoted to the vertical arm of the bracket 21 dir ctly beneath the pivotalcoir nection of the dog therewith. A pawl 27 is pivoted to the bracket 21 directly above the ratchet wheel 22 so as to cooperate with the ratchet wheel in preventing accidental reverse rotation of the same.

Movement to the ratchet wheel 22 is imparted by means of an elongated rod 28, having its lower end pivotally connected as at to a lateral extension 30 of an adjust able collar 31 fastened onto the extended end of straw rack shaft 32. Due to this specific construction, an eccentric connection is e tablished between the collar 31 and the pitman rod 28. The opposite end of the rod 28 is provided with a ratchet engaging member 33 which is of a resilient character, yet of sufiicient strength to cause spasmodic rotation of the ratchet wheel 22. It will thus be seen that the upper end of the pitman rests upon the relative upper portion of the ratchet: wheel 22 so that the ratchet engaging member 33 can slide over the ratchet teeth during downward movement of the pitman, and so that the element 323 can act upon the ratchet wheel to cause movement thereof during the upward movement of the pitn'ian rod 28. This member 38 is formed with a pai of fingers 35 which straddle the ratchet for preventing accidental displacement of the member 33 from the ratchet.

A chain tightener sheaf 36 as shown in Figure 3 is provided to engage the idle run of the chain 3% to retain it in proper engagement with the disk wheels 15.

In order that the lubricating devices on opposite sides of the threshing machine may be operated simultaneously, the periphery of each disk 15 is equipped with sprocket teeth adapted to cooperate with a sprecket revolve.

chain 3i. Consequently, operation of one disk 15 will cause corresponding rotation of the other.

From the foregoing description, it will be [T6611 that when the straw rack shaft 32 is put into operation, the pitman 28 works back and forth and causes step by 5 ep or spasmodic rotation of the ratchet wheel Inasmuch as the crank 24: of the shaft upon which the ratchet wheel 22 is mounted is caused to turn and carries the pawl 25, it will be seen that the disk 1;") having the ratchet teeth will. be caused to intermittently As the legs 13 of the follower operating men'ibers extend through the disks 15, they are caused to rotate and they c0nsequently impart corresponding movement to the follower caps 11. Obviously, the grease contained in the follower caps and the cups 10 will be forced through the feed pipe 9 and then through the bearings of the clover huller shaft 7. As it will be clearly understood from the description, the disks 15 are only caused to move a slight distance, possibly a fraction of an inch, each time the dog 25 acts upon the ratchet disk 15 and therefore, it will .be seen that the movement of the followers 11 is likewise very slight, and in fact, so slight that it will take practically half of a daj, of continuous opera tion of the thresh ng machine before the follower caps have been driven to their lowermost position upon the lubricating cups 10. When the followers reach the limit of their downward movement, they automatically become disengaged from the follower operating elements 13 and consequently there will be no possibility of any of the parts breaking due to continual operation of the device.

After the follower elements 11 have become disengaged from their operating members, it is then known that it is time to refill the caps of the lubricating cups and this is accomplished by first lifting the follower operating members 13 sufiiciently to permit the followers 11 to be Screwed off of the cups 10. After the caps have been refilled, the followers are then slightly screwed upon the cups and the follower operating members properly assembled with the followers so'thatthe machine will again be ready for operation.

The foregoing description and the accompanying drawings have reference to the pre' ferred or approved embodiments of my invention. It is to be understood however, that such changes may be made in construction and arrangement of parts, materials, dimensions. etc, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described and illustrated my invention, what I now claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1 An automatic force feed lubricator comprising a lubricant receptacle, a cap fol? lower associated therewith for ejecting lubricant therefrom, a rotary member having a pair of apertures, said follower having a pair of spaced apertures, and a removable U- shaped follower operating member having its arms extended through the spaced apertures in said rotatable member and said follower.

2. An automatic force feed lubricator comprising a lubricant receptacle, a cap follower associated therewith for ejecting lubricant therefrom, said follower having a pair of spaced apertures, a support, a rotary member mounted thereon, and having a pair of spaced apertures, a U-shaped removable follower operating member having its arms depending and extending through the apertures of the rotary member and said follower, and the bridging portion of said U- shaped follower operating member being offset laterally to avoid abutment with said support when the follower operating member is removed from its apertures in the rotary member and follower.

3. The combination with a shaft having a pair of bearings, a lubricant receptacle associated with each bearing, a follower threadedly engaged therewith for ejecting lubricant from the receptacle, a supporting bar arranged above the shaft, a pair of sprockets depending from said bar, an endless chain associated with said sprockets,

means for driving oneof said sprockets, and

a follower operating member carried by each sprocket and adapted to. be associated with said followers for automatically operating the same. a

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

NOAH R, lVI-lITE. 

